Concealed hinge



m mw CONCEALED HINGE March 29, 1938.

Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONCEALED HINGE 13 Claims.

This invention relates to hinge construction, and aims particularly to provide an improved concealed hinge adapted to be so installed that when a door or othe-r closure supported thereby r, is in closed position, the hinge is retracted and virtually or entirely concealed, yet upon opening movement of the closure the hinge is automatically projected sufficiently to function after the fashion of an ordinary butt hinge of the projecting variety.

An additional aim of the invention is to provide such a retractable concealed hinge which is usable upon flanged and tightly tting doors in a manner not possible with concealed hinges of the varieties now commonly used, or with any of comparable simplicity of which I am aware.

Another object is the provision of such a concealcd hinge having a pintle which is movable laterally upon. swinging of the door or other hinged ob-ject, and in which such lateral displacement of the pintle is so guided that the pintle may move from a concealed position to one allowing the hinged element to clear desired objects upon opening. Another yand particular object is the provision of such a hinge especially adaptable for use upon the doors of automobiles and other vehicles; and

so constructed as to be entirely retracted when the door is closed, thereby both enhancing the appearance and lessening the wind resistance of the vehicle.

Additional objects include the provision of such a hinge which is of simple and inexpensive yet p sturdy construction, whose parts are so arranged as to resist the tendency of 'wear to create looseness and rattles, and which may `be installed as easily and quickly as those of conventional construction.

A further object contemplated by the present invention lies in the provision of additional support and reinforcement for the swinging leaf and its load, other than that provided by the pintle, and the virtual removal of all stress from the pintle when they door or other hinged object is closed.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from, the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating preferred embodiments: of my invention, and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view showing in top plan a hinge incorporating the principles of my invention, also indicating in phantom outline a door and appui-tenant body portions of an automobile, the door and hinge being in closed position.

Figure 2 is a similar View showing the door and hinge in open position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation taken. as indicated 5 by the arrow il of Figure l, showing in plan the flap by which the slidable portions are supported, as well as indicating the position of the pintle and appurtenant parts when the hinge is closed.

Figure 4 is an analogous view of the opposite side. of the hinge assembly in open position, taken as indicated by the arrow l of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an end elevation showing the hinge in closed position taken substantially on they line 5-5 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 6 6 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows. 20

Referring now to the drawing, the automobile door il) and the body portion i2 to which it is hinged serve merely to exemplify an illustrative use of my invention, and since they form in their structural details no part of the present invention, are indicated in the drawing only diagrammatically and iragmentarily. It will be seen, however, that along the outer edge of the door exte-nds a flange portion Il which when the door is closed fits into a rabbet or other recess; as I3 formed in the body or door frame appurtenant the opening.

It will be apparent that whatever the character of hinge -employed to swingably support such a door, the pintle must when the door is opened be locatedfar enough from the body to provide clearance for the flange il. This, together with the fact that such doors are frequently curved along' their hinged edge, has made it necessary, where ordinary butt hinges are used in supporting such a door, to so install the same that the flaps: or leaves and butt project considerably beyond the ilush surface of the door and body.

In order to eliminate such projecting leaves and butt, and provide a retracting pintle, I form one leaf in two parts; such two-part leaf being attached to the door jamb in` the preferred construction illustrated. Said leaf comprises a supporting and slideway-forming element I4 which may be suitably apertured along its edges for and secured to the body by screws as l5. An undercut slideway is formed in the body portion I4 by opposite and inwardly projecting flanges IB overhanging the cut out channel 2i in the body. Within said slideway is slidable the pintle-carrying flap assembly I'I, Il formed of plates welded or otherwise secured together as at 23. The under plate Il travels in the undercut portion and retains the assembly, While the top plate Il fills the space between the overhanging flanges i6. The end of the flap plate I'I may be bent at its end as at I8 to embrace and hold a pintle it in the usual or any desired fashion. The pintle in turn supports the swingable flap 2t, which in the shown construction supports thcI IC', to which it is secured by screws 2l. The portion I8 which supports the pintle is centrally eut away to accommodate the butt portion 2E carried by leaf 2Q, which portion may be pivoted on the pintle in the usual manner, or the pintle may of course be held fast in butt 22 and turn in portions I8.

Extending rigidly from and shown as formed integrally with the portion 22 is an arm 25 which will be seen to be swingable with the flap 20, with which it will be seen to constitute a bellcrank. Articulated to the end of arm 25 as on pin 2'! is a link 28, pivoted at its other extremity by means of a pin 2S to the fixed plate I4, as in ribs or supporting portions 30 spacedly formed upon and projecting from the back of the web forming the body of such stationary plate. The link 28 and arm 25 and their fulcra are so proportioned and arranged that when flap 2E! is closed against the supporting plate assembly, pintle I9 is, drawn in, to the position in which it is shown in Figure 1. Swinging the flap away from the supporting assembly, as in opening the door Ill, causes the outward component upon the pintle I9, which is resisted by the thrust upon ribs 30 through link 28, to slide the pintle and its supporting flap portions I'I-I 'I' out to the position shown in Figure 2, in which the pintle may project from the doorway to any desired extent, depending, as Will be seen, upon the proportioning of the parts.

In the construction shown, the degree of sliding movement so imparted to the pintle and its carrying parts is suicient to provide clearance for the door flange il and to fully retract the pintle when the door is closed. Preferably such movement is sufhcient, and the end of plate I4 so out away, as at S2, that the pintle carrying partsmay slide into such cut away portion so as to project not at all from the hinge assembly itself when the hinge and closure are shut. This extension of the track portions of the slideWay beside the pintle so as to lie beside it when the hinge is in closed position will bey seen to provide greatly strengthened and considerably elongated support for the slidable parts when in projected position.

The actuating portions for the slidable flap assembly, and the movable butt portion of the hinge, may travel in a slot 3l formed in the face of the doorway. The plate I'I may be cut away, as at 33, to accommodate the link coupling portion appurtenant pin 21 when flap 20 is opened so, that such link then lies flat against the back of the assembly, as shown in Figure 2, at which time auxiliary support for the link and the connected load-carrying portions will be seen to be furnished by ribs 3l).

It will be seen that the portions II-I'I and 28 may be formed of sheet metal, and that the channeled supporting plate I4 may be formed of an extruded or cold drawn section or the like, sawed to length, while the flap 20 and connected portions 22-25 may also be formed of extended or cold drawn sections sawed transversely to the desired lengths, although it will also be recogniZed that these portions might be formed of drop forgings or the like. The manner in which the construction thus lends itself to the more economical methods of production will be seen to recommend it, particularly in fields of quantity production, while the further fact that all of the parts may be of relatively heavy proportions and are of simple nature insures long life and freedom from noise and rattles, so that the hinge may safely be put to vehicular and other hard usages.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiments of my invention herein disclosed are Well calculated to adequately fulfill the objects and advantages primarily set forth, it is to be understood that the invention is subject to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A hinge comprising a pair of leaf portions, pintle means pivotally connecting said leaf p0rtions, means slidably supporting one of said leaf portions whereby the entire assembly comprising both leaf portions and said pintle means may be moved bodily, and means including an arm extending beyond the pintle means, and a link connecting said arm and the supporting means to induce sliding movement of the assembly upon swinging movement of one leaf portion relatively to the other.

2. A hinge construction comprising in combination with a supporting element, a leaf portion slidably mounted in said supporting element, another leaf portion pivotally connected to the rst and extending generally in one direction from such pivotal connection, an actuating arm movable with said last mentioned leaf portion to swing about said same pivotal connection and extending upon the opposite side of such connection from said last mentioned leaf portion, and means connecting said arm and the supporting element for inducing sliding movement of the first mentioned leaf portion upon swinging of one leaf portion relatively to the other.

3. In a hinge construction, in combination with a supporting element, a leaf portion slidably mounted in said supporting element, another leaf portion pivotally connected to the rst, an arm carried by one of said leaf portions and projecting beyond the axis of pivotal connection to the other, pivotal connecting means carried by the supp-orting element upon its side farthest from the leaf portion carrying said arm, and actuating means connecting said arm and pivotal` connecting means for inducing sliding movement of the assembly upon swinging of one leaf portion relatively to the other.

4. In a hinge, in combination with a supporting element, a leaf portion movably carried by said supporting element, `another' leaf portion hingedly connected to the first, an arm carried by said last mentioned leaf portion and projecting laterally beyond the farther side of the other leaf portion, and a rigid actuating element articulated to said arm and to the supporting element for inducing sliding movement of the assembly upon swinging of one leaf portion relatively to the other.

5. In a hinge, in combination with a supporting portion, a leaf element movably carried by said supporting portion, another leaf element hingedly connected to the first and lying on one side thereof, and a rigid actuating element articulated to said last mentioned leaf element and to the supporting portion and positioned upon the opposite side of the first mentioned leaf element.

6. A hinge construction as set forth in claim 2 in which said last mentioned means connecting said arm and the supporting element comprises a link articulated to the arm and to the supporting element upon the opposite side of the first mentioned leaf portion and acting in compression to move the slidably mounted leaf portion in one direction and in tension to move it in the other.

7. In a hinge, in combination with a supporting element, a leaf portion movably carried by said supporting element, a hinged leaf 'portion, pivotally connected to the first mentioned leaf portion, an arm connected to the hinged leaf portion and projecting upon the opposite side of said pivot means, and an actuating link articulating said arm to the supporting portion for inducing sliding movement of the leaf assembly upon swinging of one leaf relatively tothe other.

8. A hinge comprising a pair of relatively hinged leaf portions, means slidably supporting one of said leaf portions having a slideway therein in which said leaf portion is movable, the other leaf portion having an integral extension at one end and approximately at right angles thereto in articulated relation with an end of the slidably supported leaf portion, and a link hinged to one end to the opposite side of the supporting means from that occupied by the slideway and at the other end to the said extension at a distance from its axis of articulation, and lying on the opposite side of the supporting means from that occupied by said other leaf portion.

9. A hinge comprising a pfair of relatively hinged leaf portions, means slidably supporting one of said leaf portions, and having a slideway therein in which said leaf portion is held against movement laterally of the slideway, the end of said slidably supported leaf portion having a notch extending thereinto and shaped to provide pintle receiving elements on opposite sides of the notch, the other leaf having an integral extension lying in the notch and apertured to receive a pintle whereby said other leaf is pivotally supported by the slideway, a pintle extending through said portion and notch and through said integral extension, said extension projecting upon that side of the pintle opposite said other leaf and having spaced eyes, an actuating link having an end positioned between said eyes, and articulated thereto, the opposite end of said link being pivoted to said supporting means.

10. A hinge comprising a pair of relatively hinged leaf portions, means having a slideway therein slidably supporting one of said leaf portions and whereby said leaf portion is held against displacement laterally of its sliding movement, the other leaf being pivoted to the end of said slidably supported leaf portion, said supporting portion having a notch shaped to receive the pivotally connected portions of said leaf portions, and an actuating link articulated to the face of the support opposite that occupied by the slide- Way and pivoted to a hinged leaf portion which extends through said notch and through said supporting means.

11. A hinge comprising a pair of relatively hinged leaf portions, means slidably supporting one of said leaf portions and having a slideway therein, a portion of the other of said leaf portions extending beyond its axis of pivotal connection to the slidably supported leaf portion and upon the opposite side of said supporting means from that occupied by the slideway, and a link pivotally connected to the supporting means and to said extending portion of said other leaf portion, turning of said other leaf portion thereby causing the slidably supported leaf portion to be moved in the slideway, said link also limiting the extent to which said other leaf portion may be swung outwardly from the supporting means.

1-2. A hinge comprising a pair of relatively hinged leaves, means slidably supporting one of said leaves and having a slideway therein in which said leaf is movable at right angles to the hinge axis, the other leaf having an integral extension lying approximately at right angles to the plane thereof and extending through and across said slidably supported leaf, a link articulated to said extension and to the opposite side of said supporting means from that occupied by the slideway, said supporting means having a recess therein in which said link may lie and wherein it is held against displacement in the direction vof the hinged axis, said link being also articulated to the said extension on the opposite side of the supporting means from that occupied by said other leaf.

13. A hinge comprising a pair of relatively hinged leaves, means having a slideway therein slidably supporting one of said leaves and holding the same against movement in the direction of the hinge axis, the other leaf being hinged to said slidably supported leaf and having an integral extension approximately at right angles thereto and projecting upon the opposite side of the supporting means, link means articulating said extension to said opposite side of the supporting means from that occupied by the slideway, said supporting means also having a recess therein in which said link may lie and be supported against movement in the direction of the hinge axis, the opposite end of said link being pivoted to said extension, the axis of such pivotal connection of the link to both said extension and the supporting means being parallel to the hinge ax1s.

ERNEST SHAWCROSS. 

